There was a bungalow on the bank of three roads. He used to stand in a lorry on a corner of the road with some fruits. He would stand in such a place that every passer-by would pass by his lorry. There was constant movement of people on this road, due to which its fruits were sold immediately. He used to stand there from eight in the morning to one in the afternoon. He used to communicate with customers very lovingly, if a customer asked for price, he would answer with a smile. He used to do business even at a loss to keep the customer happy. Often people think, how can this man give so cheaply? Other hawkers standing around were annoyed because this man was spoiling the prices of the customers by giving them cheap fruits.
Customers rarely buy fruits from anyone else as long as this man is standing there selling them. Now the vendors selling other fruits in it are offended? Many tried to explain to him that brother, why are you spoiling the market price of fruits? Then he does not answer. People used to be shocked by his silence but stopped by seeing the helplessness in his eyes. Other fairies standing around tried hard to know about it. Only then could know that his name is Kishan. So his age will be around 30 or 40. He looked like a professor teaching in a college. Kishan looked like a teacher from his soft laugh and the way he spoke.
He is never seen after one in the afternoon. Kishan used to stand there seven days a week. His eyes were on the opposite bungalow. A 10-year-old girl from a bungalow used to go by car every day at 8 in the morning and returned at 1 in the afternoon. A glimpse of that little fairy-like girl could be seen glimmering through the black window of the car. Kishan’s eyes fell on it. The girl never seemed to notice him.
One day around 10 in the morning there was a commotion in the bungalow opposite Kishan, where he was standing on the road. A 10-year-old girl fell from a second-floor balcony. Everyone else also ran but Kishan was the first to call an ambulance. Then watching from his lorry. In the meantime, all the people who came gave what they asked for and took as much money as they gave. His whole mind was on getting the first girl. They could all see.
Ambulance arrived within 5 minutes. Sadsadt went away with the little girl. That day, Kishan stood there with the lorry the whole day. People wondered why Kishan didn’t leave as usual at 1 pm? He stayed there all day and night. Annie sat or slept in the lorry but Kishan did not move from there. On the way, people were looking at him curiously. Bajuwala Feria drank the kish when Parana drank the tea. He sat there on the lorry without leaving the bus. Today, he had run out of fruits to sell. People who came to buy fruit asked him, “Didn’t Kishanbhai bring the goods today?”
In response, he would just shake his head and refuse. His eyes do not move from the bungalow. He stayed there day and night without worrying about rain and heat for 5 consecutive days. While the fairies standing around him tried to force him to feed him, he only had tea twice and a biscuit or two. But as if he needed strength to stand there, he gave the rent in the form of food as if he were paying rent to the body.
Late at night on the seventh day, an ambulance arrived and Kishan got up from the lorry. His body shook. The body had lost strength because nothing had gone into the stomach for weeks. However, he got down from the lorry and stood with the support of the lorry. Looking anxiously at the ambulance. The face of a little girl wrapped in white clothes appeared and Kishan’s face turned black. Hatprat stood up.
People started gathering around the bungalow. Car upon car started coming. Kishan did not move from his place. His eyes seemed to be lost there. It rained all night long. Kishan stood like a pillar to them. At 7 in the morning, the premises of the bungalow began to swarm with people dressed in milk-white clothes. After a while, the name of the girl came out and Kishan ran. Siya…Siya….was speaking. Tears were falling from his eyes. The bright people standing in the bungalow stopped him from entering. Then a 30-year-old woman said in a hoarse voice, “Let him come!”
Kishan had not washed his hands for weeks. His clothes were dirty. One foot was shod and the other foot was open. Kishan stared at the beautiful silver face of the girl. He took out an envelope from the pocket of his rumpled pants. On which was written.
‘Dearest Sia. With love from the dead!’
Kishan kissed the girl’s head.
‘I’m sorry son….forgive me.’ He moved out of Nanami’s path. Everyone was leaving. He sat by the lorry all day alone. The fairies around tried to feed him but Kishan did not even drink tea today. As night fell, the roads became silent. Late at night, Kishan fell on the lorry. The next morning when the nearby fairies checked, they found that Kishan was dead.
(Title row: Darshak Acharya)